FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — John Matthews will help the Indianapolis Colts get ready all week and then have one of the best spots in Sun Life Stadium from which to watch Super Bowl XLIV.

The former USD receiver will be on the sideline.

“Having never been to a Super Bowl before, it will be great to have a front-row seat,” said Matthews, who is on the Colts’ practice squad.

Matthews signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent last spring after a senior year at USD in which he caught 102 passes for 1,478 yards and 21 touchdowns. Indianapolis might seem like an odd fit, with the Colts being so loaded on offense. But they had two young receivers (Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon) exceed expectations.

“I felt as far as a system, I liked the fit,” Matthews said. “You never know what’s going to happen. A lot of guys stepped up and had great years. If I was coming out again this year it might be tougher to want to come here. Still, it’s a great place to be. Obviously, you’d like to be playing. But this is the path I’m on right now. As far as a place to learn and develop, I can’t think of a better organization to be around.”

Matthews spent the first 12 weeks of the season on the practice squad before being released Dec. 2. On Dec. 30, the Colts re-signed him to the practice squad.

Now here he is in South Florida.

“It’s a little crazy,” he said. “You just want to try to keep doing what you’ve been doing and not get caught up in everything but at the same time enjoy the experience, because it’s something a lot of great players have never been able to experience.”

Explosive offenses

New Orleans led the league in scoring. Indianapolis was seventh.

The Colts were 4-0 in games decided by three points or fewer, tied for the league lead with the Chargers. The Saints were 2-1 in such games.

New Orleans outscored teams by 91 points in the fourth quarter, best in the NFL. Indianapolis outscored opponents by 33, fifth-best. New Orleans’ 22 scoring drives of four plays or fewer were second-most in the NFL. Indianapolis had eight such drives (24th).

“This is a game that could be back and forth, or one team gets out to a lead and the other comes back,” Brees said. “We’ve both shown the ability to overcome deficits. The game is never out of reach.”

Freeney progressing

The most famous ankle in the world has been poked and rubbed and even infused with oxygen. Yesterday, unlike the day before when Dwight Freeney wore sandals, the ankle was wrapped as Freeney spoke to the media before the Colts’ practice.

“It’s better than yesterday,” Freeney said. “That’s the plan — every day better than the next.”